Please Don't Leave Me
by LiveLoveLaughLife
Summary: A psychopathic ghost begins to haunt Melinda and tries to convince her that Jim wants to leave her. Meanwhile, Jim is off visiting his parents and has no idea of the dilemma Melinda is going through. Read and review please.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey everyone! This is my first story for Ghost Whisperer, so I'm really hoping it doesn't suck. Haha. I thrive on reviews and they are greatly appreciated! Thanks and enjoy.

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"I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you more."

Jim smiled at his wife and leaned down and kissed her. She embraced him one last time, and then he put his suitcase in the car and climbed in. He rolled down the window.

"I love you." He called.

Melinda kissed her hand and blew it at him. "I love you, too. Have fun!" She waved as he pulled away.

Sighing slightly, Melinda walked back inside her house. She didn't tell him, but she would really miss him while he was away visiting his parents. Sure, she could have gone with him, but she didn't want to force Delia to watch over the antique shop for an entire week. Plus, she'd been having strange feelings lately. She was almost positive that a ghost was trying to contact her.

The house seemed so empty without Jim there with her. She got ready for work faster than usual, and in moments was on her way to the antique shop.

Delia looked up as the door opened and Melinda entered.

"Hey, Mel. Did Jim leave?" She asked.

"Yeah." Melinda replied. She walked behind the counter and sat down, propping her chin up on her hand.

"He'll be back soon." Delia told her.

"Yeah, I know." Mel replied. "But I've never actually been without him for a week since we've been married. It's just going to be…weird."

Delia snorted and Melinda looked at her.

"Well, it's not like your weird and my weird have the same definition." Delia smirked. "Because I define seeing ghosts as weird."

Mel narrowed her eyes. "Oh, you're hysterical. Ha-ha."

Delia laughed. They each looked up as a customer came in. Delia went over to help them, while Melinda decided to start doing inventory in the back.

The work was tedious and boring, for Melinda, and when she next looked at her watch she was surprised. Three hours had passed. She stretched and decided to go back into the front of the store to join Delia.

"How's business?" She asked when she walked into the front of the store.

Delia shrugged. "The usual."

"Hm." Melinda sat down, yawning. She looked out the window and was surprised to see that it was raining.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully, until about ten minutes to closing time. Melinda was putting price tags on an old fashioned lamp, when suddenly something icy cold touched the back of her neck. She jumped, and the lamp fell from her hands, smashing into pieces.

"Hello?" Melinda called. She looked around the store but saw no one, human or ghost. "I know you're here. If you come out I can help you."

The door to the store flew open. Melinda fought her way through the rain and wind that was pouring in and eventually was able to close it. "Hello? Come out! I can help you." She called again.

"No one can help me." A voice whispered to her left. She jumped. You would think that after being able to see ghosts for as long as she has, she would be used to things like this, but she still wasn't.

Looking around, she still didn't see the ghost.

"Where are you?" She called.

A raspy laugh filled her ears. She felt cold and clammy. "Why, why, little Melinda." The voice taunted. "You think that all ghosts want to cross over…stupid girl. My new goal is to make your life miserable. Oh what fun we'll have!" The ghost laughed again. It was painful to listen to.

"Show yourself!" Melinda demanded. She couldn't help the quivering in her voice.

"Is that really what you want, little Melly?" The voice whispered.

"Show yourself!" Melinda demanded again. "Who are you!?"

"If you insist…,"

The ghost materialized in front of her. It was wearing a straight jacket, each eye pointed in a different direction. Half of his face was covered in blood from his cheek down.

Melinda had no words. The sight before her was particularly disturbing, and she had seen many, many ghosts in her lifetime.

The ghost laughed its raspy laugh again. The half of its mouth that wasn't covered in blood turned up in a twisted smile. "I told you," The ghost's voice was just above a whisper. "Silly little Melinda."

Melinda narrowed her eyes. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"I want you to suffer."

The ghost disappeared. Melinda stared at where it had been, unable to move.

Suddenly, thunder rumbled in the sky and the door Melinda had been standing in front flew open. It hit her with so much force that she was thrown forward, screaming.

"Melinda!" Delia exclaimed, appearing from the back of the store. She had heard Melinda talking and assumed that she was with a ghost…Delia hadn't wanted to interrupt so she stayed in the back.

Delia looked around the shop, and then spotted Melinda picking herself up off the floor.

"Melinda! What happened? Are you alright? I heard you scream." Delia rushed to her side.

Melinda was having trouble standing. She felt shaky and unstable. Delia took her arm and led her behind the counter to sit down. "You're shaking! Are you alright? Do I need to take you to the hospital? _What happened_!?"

"The storm." Melinda told her. "It blew the door open."

"And the ghost?"

Melinda stared at Delia. "How did you…?

"I heard you talking. I assumed that you were with a ghost because I didn't hear any other voices." Delia explained.

"Oh, well…let's just say that he's not the friendliest ghost I've ever met."

"Oh," Delia really didn't know what to say. She didn't like thinking about ghosts. "Well, are you ok?"

"Yeah, fine." Mel said. "C'mon, it's closing time. You should get home to Ned."

Melinda stood up and made to go to the back to grab a broom so that she could sweep up the pieces of the broken lamp, but Delia stopped her.

"You go ahead. I can lock up."

Melinda looked at her. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Okay, if you're sure. Thanks Delia."

Delia smiled. "My pleasure."

Melinda grabbed her coat and dug through her bag to find her keys. Once she found them, she said bye to Delia and headed out into the storm to her car. She drove home slowly, not really looking forward to the empty house that awaited her.

But, eventually, she did arrive home. She took a quick shower and then went to bed.

"He's going to leave, you know."

Melinda nearly jumped out of her skin as the ghost from the antique shop appeared on the side of her bed.

"What do you want!?" She exclaimed. She was really getting sick of this guy.

"Just to make your life hell, little Melinda." The ghost cackled.

Melinda had to restrain herself from yelling. She was getting sick of being called "little Melinda" or "little Melly".

"Why?" Her voice wavered. She wished that Jim was with her now more than ever.

"Because." The ghost laughed again. "I want too. Now, my dear little Melinda, we have something to talk about. As we speak, your husband is cheating on you."

"Wh-what!?" Melinda sputtered. Jim would never! They loved each other to much. Plus, he was visiting his _parents_! The ghost was a liar.

"Melly, Melly." The ghost sung. "He's sick of you and the ghosts you see. He's going to leave you."

"That's a lie!" Melinda exclaimed. "Get away from me! Get out of my house! Go into the light or-or something!"

The ghost laughed again, for the thousandth time. "I'll see you soon…"

Melinda sighed. The ghost was gone, finally. She felt cold and clammy all over, and she would have given anything for Jim to be home with her.

She shut her eyes. The sooner she fell asleep was the sooner that tomorrow would come. And before she knew it, Jim would be home again. That ghost was full of it. Jim would never leave her. He loved her.

Eventually, after convincing herself that Jim loved her no matter what, Melinda drifted into an uneasy sleep.

_Melinda was walking along a long, dark road. There was forest on each side of her. Wind whipped against her, making her hair and clothes flutter. She was shivering. It was like the middle of winter, it was so icy cold._

_Suddenly, someone screamed. Melinda looked around frantically, but saw no one. She wanted to help them, but in order to do that she had to find them._

_"HELP ME!" Someone screamed again. Melinda began to run. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew she couldn't leave the road. If she went into the forest, she would be lost and couldn't help anyone._

_Then, shouts of "help me" broke out all around her. Melinda turned one way and then the other. She didn't know who to help. There were too many voices. _

_"Melinda?" Melinda turned and saw Jim walking out of the forest towards her. _

_"Jim!" She exclaimed. She began to run towards him. "Jim, I want to go home! I don't like this place. Please, let's go home."_

_She reached out to touch him and he pushed her away. She looked up at him with wide, confused eyes._

_"Melinda, I can't take this anymore." He said. His eyes were dark and cold. "I'm sick of these ghosts and…I'm sick of you. I've found someone else."_

_"Wh-what?" Melinda was blinded by the tears forming in her eyes. "Jim, no! Don't do this…please!"_

_"It's over, Melinda." He said. He began walking away. Melinda tried to run after him, but her legs would move. She collapsed. She tried to call for him, to beg him to come back, but she couldn't find her voice. She couldn't breathe. She was suffocating…_

"JIM!" Melinda screamed, jolting herself awake. She looked at the spot next to her only to see it empty. She burst into tears. He left her…it wasn't a dream…he was gone.

Melinda curled up in a ball, hugging her knees and choking on her sobs. She couldn't stop trembling. She needed Jim now more than ever, and he was gone. He left her. How could he do that? She thought that he loved her! Deep down, way back in the only still-rational part of her mind, Melinda knew that Jim didn't leave her and that he was just away. She needed to get a grip on herself.

She took deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. She tried to picture what Jim would be saying to her if he were here. Probably something along the lines of, "Shh, Mel. It's okay. I love you. I'll never leave you. Calm down, ok? Deep breaths...,"

Finally, Melinda was able to control her tears. She knew that Jim was just visiting his parents. He didn't leave her. He wouldn't do that.

"Jim," Mel whispered, as if he could hear her. "I-I need you."

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A/N: Well, there's chapter one! I hope you liked it. I haven't been watching Ghost Whisperer for that long, so if any of the descriptions of anything like Mel and Jim's house or the antique store are wrong, please tell me and I'll make sure to fix it for the next chapters. Also, if any of the characters seem a little to OOC (like Delia) then I'm sorry. Please review. Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I couldn't stop thinking about this story. I just had to continue! The ideas were driving me insane. I suppose you're all happy about that! Haha. And, oh my gosh, THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the amazing reviews!!! I had no idea that I would get such amazing feedback. THANK YOU!!!! :)

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Melinda didn't get anymore sleep the rest of that night. How could she, with a psychopathic ghost whispering "He's going to leave you," into her ear all night long? Plus, she was afraid to fall back asleep. She was afraid to have another nightmare.

When she had dreams or nightmares like that one, it was usually because a ghost was trying to tell her something. In this case, the creepy ghost that has been tormenting her was trying to tell her that Jim was going to leave her. The thought alone caused her immeasurable pain. She had never loved anyone nearly as much as she loved him, and the thought that he could even consider leaving her broke her heart.

But Jim wouldn't do that. He wouldn't! They loved each other more than anything. The ghost was just trying to get to her. Nothing it said was true. It couldn't be.

A few hours later, Melinda's alarm clock rang. The sudden sound made her jump. Finally she was able to unclench her arms from around her knees and walk shakily to the bathroom to begin getting ready for work.

After getting dressed and trying to make herself as presentable as possible, Melinda headed downstairs to the kitchen. She knew that if she ate anything she would probably just end up throwing it back up, so she settled for a cup of water. The phone rang and nearly sent her diving under the table for cover. She could tell right now that today was going to be a very bad day.

When she got a hold of herself, she answered.

"H-Hello?"

"Hey, Mel." Jim's cheerful voice said. Just the sound of it seemed to ease the worry building inside her chest. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to call last night. I couldn't escape my mother. You know what she's like…,"

"It's okay." Mel told him. "I'm just glad you called now. I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too." Jim said. "But we'll be back together soon enough."

"Yeah." Melinda sighed.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Jim asked. His voice was softer now, caring.

"It's nothing." Melinda lied. She didn't want to worry him. She wanted him to have a good time. "Just a troublesome ghost is all. Nothing to worry about."

"Do you want me to come home?"

_Yes, more than anything. _Melinda thought. But she wasn't going to tell him that. She couldn't.

"No, I'll be fine. Just have fun with your mom, okay?"

"I'll be sure to try." Jim chuckled. "I'm sorry, hon, but I have to go. I love you."

"I love you, too." Melinda said quietly. The other end of the phone disconnected.

She sighed and hung the phone back up. When she turned around she nearly screamed. The psychotic ghost was standing there. She glared at him.

"Troublesome ghost?" He quoted her. "I'm hurt, little Melinda."

"I'm really getting sick of you." She said. "You don't want my help, so why can't you just get lost?"

"Because," He laughed. "What fun would that be? I always like to play with my toys before I kill them."

"K-Kill?" Melinda tried to keep her voice from wavering…and failed miserably. Ghosts couldn't actually kill people...could they?

"Yes. You don't think I would let you live, do you?" He cackled. "But maybe _kill_ isn't quite the right word. Basically, Melly, my plan is to haunt you until you lose your mind and old Jimbo decides to throw you in the loony bin."

Melinda made a beeline for her purse and jacket, which were lying on the kitchen table behind the ghost. She grabbed them and then left the house, locking the door behind her, all the while trying desperately to ignore the ghost's taunts and fight back the fear bubbling inside her.

Thankfully, the ghost didn't follow her out of the house. She climbed into her car and drove to the antique shop as quickly as she could. She wanted to be focused on something. She didn't want to think about what the ghost had said.

Delia looked up when she entered.

"Mel! What on earth happened to you? You look like you didn't get any sleep last night."

"I didn't." Melinda sat down next to her. She put her face in her upturned palms. "I don't know what to do. This stupid ghost won't leave me alone. It doesn't want help, either. It just wants me to suffer."

Delia didn't know what to say. After all, ghosts weren't her thing. She didn't know how she could help her friend. She placed a comforting hand on Mel's back.

"Maybe you should call Jim? I'm sure he'd come home early."

"No!" Melinda exclaimed. "I'm not ruining his trip! I'll just deal with it. I'm fine, ok?"

Delia didn't believe her at all, but felt that arguing wouldn't be the best thing to do at the moment. So instead she sighed and patted Mel's back. "Yeah, if you say so."

For the rest of the morning, Delia kept a close eye on Melinda. Every time a customer would enter the shop, Mel would jump slightly. If anyone dropped anything or spoke loudly all of the sudden, Mel gasped or jumped, then tried to pass it off as a cough and a shiver. By the time lunch approached, Delia was really beginning to get worried.

"What do you say we close the shop and go grab lunch?" Delia asked, as the last remaining customer bought their item and left. The store was empty, so now was the perfect time.

"I'm not really hungry." Mel said. "But you go ahead."

"You're coming with me." Delia said. Her voice took on a threatening edge. "Or else I'll call Jim." She really didn't want to upset Melinda more than she already was, but this was necessary in order to get her to eat. Jim would never forgive her if she let Mel starve to death...hell, she'd never forgive herself.

Melinda glared at Delia. "Don't you dare!"

"Then come with me."

"I told you, I'm not hungry." Melinda tried to convince her. It wasn't working out very well. "Honestly."

"Well, you can still come with me." Delia said.

"I really—,"

Delia picked up the phone and began dialing, making Melinda stop mid-sentence. "Now," Delia said. Her finger hovered over the last digit of Jim's cell phone number. "Are you going to come, or not?"

Mel pursed her lips and crossed her arms. "I hate you."

"I'll take that as a yes." Delia smiled and hung the phone back up. "You know I'm only doing this because I'm worried."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Melinda grumbled.

Delia disappeared to the back of the store for a moment and then reappeared with hers and Mel's coats. The two left the antique shop and walked down the street, stopping at the first restaurant they came across. They got seats and ordered their food, Mel complaining all the while.

Delia was talking about Ned and his school when a sudden wave of cold air washed over Melinda, giving her goose bumps. She tried to ignore it at first, but it just kept getting colder, until she was surprised that she couldn't see her breath in the air when she breathed.

"Mel?" Delia said. "Are you okay?"

Melinda opened her mouth to reply and realized that her teeth were chattering. "F-fine. Just a little c-cold."

"You are not just a little cold. You're shivering like mad!" Delia argued.

"I'm fine." Melinda had to work hard to keep her teeth from chattering, but she managed. She pulled on her coat, but it didn't make a difference. But for Delia's sake, she pretended that it did. "See? All better."

Melinda knew that Delia obviously didn't believe her, but she was saved when the waitress brought their food. Melinda took a few bites of her sandwich, just to make Delia happy.

"First sign of insanity: being freezing cold when everyone else is just fine." A whisper sounded in Melinda's ear, followed by that raspy laugh that she had learned to hate.

Melinda dropped her glass, which she had just been about to take a drink out of. The contents spilled all over the floor.

"Mel?" Delia's worried voice was distant to Melinda. She felt like she was in a fog. The only clear thing was the voice of her ghostly tormenter.

"She's not even your friend." The ghost whispered. "She doesn't care about you! She just wants it to look like she did…that way she gets custody of the store when they toss you in the asylum. We wouldn't want her to be out of a job, now would we, Melly?" The ghost's raspy laugh turned into gleeful wheezing. "Her and Jim have it all planned out."

Melinda couldn't reply. She couldn't find her voice. Distantly, she heard Delia calling, "Mel! Melinda! MELINDA!" but she couldn't focus. It was like she had been sucked into another dimension.

"Did you accept it yet? That Jim's going to leave you? Because you might as well…he hates you. Everyone does."

And then, as suddenly as it had started, the cold was gone and Melinda was staring at Delia's frantic face.

"Mel, oh thank God! Are you alright? What just happened!?" Delia exploded. Mel stared at her fearfully.

Out of the corners of her eyes, Mel saw the rest of the people in the restaurant staring at her. Waitresses and waiters were stopped in between the tables with their hands full of dishes, just watching her. She couldn't take it. She needed to get out of there. She felt like she was hyperventilating.

Without realizing what she had done, Melinda stood and ran out of the restaurant. It was like her brain was disconnected from her body. She kept running, and running, and running. She had no idea where she was running to…but maybe, if she could just run far enough, she could leave all of this behind her.

It took Delia about a half and hour to find her in the basement of the antique shop, arms rapped around her knees and crying. Melinda didn't know how she had gotten there, and she didn't really care. Her brain was a mess, so her body had acted of its own accord.

"This is it," Delia muttered as she tried to calm Mel down. "I'm calling Jim."

With the last bit of energy she could find, Melinda begged her not to. "Please…no-not yet! P-please Delia!"

And then everything went black.

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A/N: This is shorter than the first chapter...sorry about that. I should have this story updated pretty soon, maybe tomorrow or the next day. It depends. Please tell me what you thought. I love reading reviews!!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I was planning on posting this yesterday, but I didn't have time to proof read and then upload. So sorry. I hope you like the next chapter. (and thanks for the reviews!)

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The first thing that registered in Melinda's groggy mind was that she had no idea where she was. All she remembered was running, and ending up in the basement of her shop. Delia had been there too, although Mel's memory was blurry and she couldn't remember the specifics.

Melinda looked around the room. It seemed vaguely familiar. It wasn't a hospital, though, that was for sure. The door to the left of the bed she was laying in was open slightly, and she saw a figure walk by. He glanced into the room but then kept walking. A split second later a surprised-looking Ned stuck his head in the door.

"Melinda! You're awake!" He exclaimed. He stuck his head back out into the hallway and Mel heard him yelling at Delia. Then he walked into the room and stood beside the side of the bed. "Hey! How are you feeling?"

He had heard all about the ghost haunting her and what happened in the restaurant from his mom. He was worried for Melinda. He had gotten to know her and she was a great person, just like family to him. He hated the thought of some freaky ghost hurting her.

"Fine," Melinda was surprised by how strange and quiet her own voice sounded. She sat up in the bed. "How did I get here?"

"Mom and I brought you." He shrugged. "We didn't want to leave you alone at your house."

"Oh." Melinda said. She was grateful for that. This ghost was really starting to scare her, and as much as she hated to admit it, she didn't want to be alone. "Thank you."

Ned began to answer but was interrupted as Delia ran into the room, and almost shouted, "Melinda!"

Mel tried to smile. "Hi there."

"How are you?" Delia asked. "How do you feel?"

"I'm fine." Mel told her. Delia gave her an expression that said I-know-you're-lying. "Really, I am!"

"Yeah, well…you need to eat. Ned, go down and get some food for her." Delia demanded.

Ned grumbled, but went. Melinda started to complain that she felt like a child, but noticed that Delia was avoiding eye contact with her.

"Delia…," Melinda said slowly. Delia looked extremely guilty of something, and Mel was worried. "Why aren't you looking at me? I know I just woke up…but I don't look that horrible, do I?" Her feeble attempt at a joke didn't change Delia's expression, or get her to look at Mel. "Delia?"

Delia took a deep breath, and then looked Mel straight in the eyes. "I called him."

Melinda had no idea what she was talking about at first. And then it hit her. Delia called Jim. "You _WHAT_!? Delia I nearly begged you not to! He's going to be so worried! How could you do this? He's not coming home is he? I—,"

"I don't know if he's going to come home or not." Delia interrupted Mel. "He said that when you wake up he wanted to talk to you, and then he'd decide. Alright?"

"What did you tell him?" Melinda nearly growled.

"That you're being haunted by a ghost!" Delia exclaimed. "And that you freaked out in the restaurant yesterday. He has a right to know."

Melinda groaned and glared at Delia. "I'm fine! And I know that he needs to know! But why couldn't it wait until after he got home? Ugh! I need to call him. Can I use your phone?" The way Mel asked made it seem more like a threat than a question. Delia quickly nodded and left the room to go get it.

Melinda leaned her head against the backboard of the bed. Jim was only visiting his mom for a week…one little week! And here she was, two days after he had left, a complete mess. She didn't want to force him to come home. But she knew that he would…and she wanted him too. But that was selfish. She shouldn't do that to him…and his mom, who hardly got to see him as it is. But she couldn't help missing him. She needed him! The ghost was trying to rip her apart, and he was the only one that could hold her together.

"Here," Delia said, reappearing and handing the phone to Melinda. "Ned's making you breakfast. He wants to know if you want bacon or sausage."

"I'm not hungry." Melinda mumbled.

Delia shrugged. "Fine. I'll just tell him to make both." She left the room.

Melinda stared at the phone, and then she dialed. She got an answer on the first ring.

"Mel! Oh, Mel! Why didn't you tell me there was a ghost haunting you!?" Jim exclaimed as soon as he picked up. "I'm packing right now. I'll be home in a few hours. Just stay with Delia and you'll be fine, okay? I'll get there as soon as I can. I love you. Mel…why didn't you tell me?"

Melinda took a deep breath. "I didn't want to worry you. There's nothing wrong. Really. Just enjoy the rest of your time with your mom, okay? You'll be home in less than a week. I'll be fine, I promise."

"Mel…," Jim sighed. "Listen to me. There is no way that I could enjoy anything while I know that you're upset! I want to come home to you. I love you. It nearly killed me when I found out that you've been keeping something this important from me. Mel, I'm coming back to you."

Melinda felt tears prick her eyes. She had kept it from him…she had lied. She felt terrible.

"Mel?" He said softly when she didn't answer.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled. Now she felt guilty for causing him pain. That was her entire reason for not telling him the truth! She wanted him to have fun, enjoy his time with his family, and not worry about her. But she ended up making him worry anyway.

"Don't be." He paused, and Melinda heard him take a deep breath. "Melinda. If you really, truly and honestly, want me to stay here…then I will. For you."

A few tears slid down Melinda's cheeks. What had she ever done to deserve such a sweet, caring, loving husband? She was spoiled. She didn't deserve him.

"Come home," She very nearly whispered. "Please."

"I'm on my way." She heard the relief in his voice. It would have killed him to stay there while she needed him. But he would have, just to make her happy.

"I love you." She said, wiping the tears off of her cheeks with the back of her hand. "I don't deserve you."

"You're right. You don't." Was her reply, but it wasn't Jim who was speaking. That damn ghost. "And that, Melly, is exactly why he's going to kill himself before he gets back to you. Anything is better than being stuck with you!" The ghost laughed.

Melinda's hand clenched around the phone. She couldn't bring herself to turn and look at the ghost. She knew that it would be best to just ignore the psychopath. Slowly, she raised the phone back to her ear. Jim never said anything.

"Jim?" She breathed. "J-Jim?"

Her answer was the dial tone.

Melinda threw the phone down on the bed angrily. She whipped around to face the ghost.

"Leave me the hell alone! Get out of my life! Stop terrorizing me!" She screamed. She didn't care that Delia and Ned and all of their neighbors could hear her. She just didn't care. "Leave Jim alone! Leave me alone! Just…just…JUST GO AWAY!!"

The ghost's mouth curled up into a smirk. "Second sign of insanity: screaming at the air."

Melinda grabbed the pillow from behind her and wailed it at the ghost. Obviously, it had no effect and went straight through him, but she felt like she needed to do something.

The ghost just laughed. "Do you really think that you can hurt me? I'm already dead!" One of his eyes swiveled around to look at Melinda, and then went back to facing the wall. "But I can hurt you…oh yes, yes, yes I can! Poor little Melinda…going crazy…talking to the air…HA! They're going to treat you the same way they treated me! They're going to poke you and prod you and throw you in a padded room with a straight jacket! Because, Melly, you're going CRAZY!"

The ghost disappeared. Its laughter echoed in Melinda's ears.

Melinda covered her face with her hands. She wanted Jim with her. She needed him. She felt something touch her shoulder and jumped, cringing away reflexively.

"It's just us, Mel." Delia's voice was soft. Melinda looked up at her. "I'm sorry I called him. I really, really am."

Melinda stared at her, confused. Ned was the first one to pick up on her confusion.

"Melinda…," He said, his eyes sweeping the room. "Were you yelling at Jim or…the ghost?"

"The ghost." Melinda said. She burst into tears.

Delia sat down and put her arm around Mel's shoulders, and Ned patted Mel's leg, because it was the closest part of her. Delia felt incredibly stupid. Of course Melinda wouldn't be screaming at Jim! Why would she?

"Is Jim coming home?" Ned asked. Delia shot him a warning glance, but he just shrugged and looked back at Melinda.

"I-I think so." She said, looking up at him. She took a few deep breaths, and wiped her tears away. She had to pull herself together. "I just can't stop with the waterworks lately, huh?" She tried to sound light and joking, but her voice cracked. It was enough that she was making Jim feel bad for her. She didn't want Ned and Delia worrying too.

"I'm starting to get hungry." She lied, hoping they couldn't tell. "Did you ever finish making breakfast?" She asked, looking at Ned.

He nodded. Mel looked at Delia. Her eyes were full of concern.

"Mel," Delia said quietly.

Melinda shook her head. She knew where Delia was going with this. "Please…I really don't want to talk about it. Not now."

Delia nodded and moved so as to let Mel get out of the bed. The three of them went downstairs and Delia handed out plates. Melinda pushed her eggs around with her fork, only taking a bite when she felt someone staring at her. She had to be convincing. Or at least try.

Melinda felt like she was broken. She wanted to go curl up and cry, but she hated worrying her friends. She couldn't stand it. So she had to suck it up. The one thought that comforted her was that Jim would be back in a few hours.

And then, everything would be better. Because as long as he was with her, she would be okay. He was like her own personal light. Everything was going to get better.

As long as she had Jim, she'd be happy. No matter what.

* * *

A/N: So what did you think? This chapter wasn't that eventful but the next one will be! Thanks for reading and please review. I love hearing other people's thoughts!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Here's the next chapter. I hope you like it! (PS. I'm still new to GW so I'm not quite sure where Jim's mom lives. If I'm wrong, then I apologize.)

* * *

Melinda glanced at the clock for what felt like the billionth time. Jim's mom only lived a few hours away from Grandview, which meant that he should be back by now. Hell, he should have been back for about two hours already. Melinda was beginning to get worried. Without realizing it, she began pacing around Delia's living room.

"I'm sure he's fine. Maybe traffic is backed up or something." Delia suggested, trying to be helpful. "Or else maybe he couldn't leave as soon as you two got off the phone. He probably had to get packed and stuff."

"Yeah." Melinda mumbled. She sat down on the couch next to Delia. "Yeah. That must be it."

The three of them, Delia, Melinda, and Ned, tried to occupy themselves by watching television. But it didn't really work. Melinda was to busy worrying about Jim to pay attention to it, and Delia and Ned were to busy worrying about her.

When the phone rang, they all jumped. Delia quickly stood up. "I'll get it."

Melinda listened in on Delia's conversation, trying to make sense of it.

"Hello…Yes…yeah, she's here. Why?" There was a pause. "Oh…alright." Pause. "Okay. Hold on a minute."

Melinda and Ned both looked at Delia questioningly as she walked back into the living room, holding the phone.

"Mel, it's the hospital." Delia said. "They need to talk to you."

A feeling of dread began to bubble up from the pit of Melinda's stomach. She was afraid as she took the phone and put it up to her ear.

"Hello?" Her voice quivered slightly.

Delia and Ned stared at her as her expression went from worried to horrified in a matter of seconds. The hand holding the phone began to tremble, until she lost her grip on it and it fell to the floor. No one paid any attention to it.

"I have to go." Melinda's whispered. Her voice got louder as she got more hysterical. "Where're my keys? I have to go! I have to get to the hospital. Now! I have to go now!" She was on her feet, turning one direction and then the other. She was frantic. "Oh no, I have to go home. My keys are at home! Oh God, what if I'm too late? I—,"

"Melinda, what's wrong? What happened?" Delia asked, placing her hands on either of Melinda's shoulders to get her to focus.

Tears began to fall as Melinda mumbled, "Jim."

Delia didn't need anymore explaining. She grabbed her keys and headed out the door, pulling Melinda behind her, with Ned following. They each got into the car, Delia driving, Mel in the passengers seat, and Ned in the back, and then they were on their way to the hospital.

* * *

"Jim Clancy!" Melinda demanded as soon as the entered the emergency room. She stared at the woman behind the desk. "I need to see him! He's my husband! He was in a car accident! I-I need to know if he's-if he's…," She couldn't bring herself to say "alive".

The woman stared at her for a moment and then turned to the computer. "Name is…Jim Clancy, right?"

"Yes." Delia answered, because Mel was seconds away from having a full meltdown.

"He came out of surgery about an hour ago. He shouldn't be waking up until tomorrow. I'm sure that if you go home and come back tomorrow morning, you'll be able to see him. I—,"

"NO!" Melinda yelled, earning curious glances from the people in the waiting room. "I want to see him now! I-I need to see him now!"

The woman stared at Melinda for a moment, and then she sighed. "Alright. Go down the hallway to the left, and he's in room 214." Her eyes shifted to Delia and Ned. "Only family is allowed tonight. You can come back tomorrow if you want to see him."

"Mel, we'll be in the waiting room if you need us." Delia told her. Melinda nodded and took off, nearly running down the hallway.

Walking into Jim's room was like a punch in the stomach. Seeing him lying on the bed, hooked up to tons of machines, nearly knocked all of the air out of her. She pulled the lone chair in the room over by the side of his bed and sat down. She touched his hand.

"Jim," Her voice was quiet and shaky. She wrapped both of her hands around Jim's hand. "I'm so sorry, Jim. I-I'm so sorry! It's all my fault." She sobbed. "I-It's all my fault."

"Do I have to say I told you so?" A quiet voice came from the corner. Melinda looked up to see the ghost. She tried to ignore him, focusing only on Jim. But that was easier said than done. "I told you that he would rather die than have to put up with you! His suicide attempt just wasn't good enough, as you see."

Melinda squeezed her eyes shut. "No! That's not true!"

"Yes it is. You know it." The ghost said coldly. "He's sick of you. He's sick of you seeing ghosts. He thinks you're nothing but a deformed freak. He wants a real family, and a nice normal wife. But he's stuck with you. He considered leaving you…but seeing you beg and grovel would have just been too pathetic for him. So he decided to kill himself." The ghost snickered.

Melinda lowered her head onto the side of Jim's bed, still clutching his hand, and sobbed. "He didn't, he loves me! H-h-he loves me!"

"No he doesn't. He never did, and he never will."

"Shut UP!" Mel yelled. "Shut up shut up shut up!!"

The ghost just laughed. "Why don't you just accept it? He doesn't want you anymore. You're ugly, deformed, and useless. No one wants you." And then the ghost disappeared.

Melinda sobbed for the rest of the night, until the first beams of sunlight began filtering into the room through a small window. She only came back to reality when she felt something moving under her hands. She immediately leaned up and looked into Jim's face. His eyes were half open.

"Mel?" He said groggily.

"Jim." She said. "Oh, Jim." Even more tears began to fall, dripping off her face and landing on his hand.

Jim was almost fully alert by now. He glanced around, noticing his surroundings for the first time. Then he looked back up at Mel. "Don't cry, baby."

The words just made Melinda cry more. "H-How do you feel?" She asked when she got reasonable control over her voice.

"It doesn't matter." He shook his head. With some difficulty, he sat up. He pulled his hand out of Mel's and placed it so that he was cupping her cheek. "How are you?"

"Jim!" She complained. "Lay back down. Y-You need to r-rest."

Jim traced one of her tears with his thumb. He looked straight into her eyes. "I'm here now. That ghost isn't going to hurt you anymore, I promise."

"Th-that isn't the point right now." She said. "Please, y-you need to rest."

Jim shook his head stubbornly. "I'm fine. A few cracked ribs and punctured lungs never stopped me before." He laughed slightly, and then winced in pain.

"Ji—,"

"Mel, don't worry about me." He said, cutting her off.

"You were in a car accident!" She exclaimed. "You could've died! You could still…d-die."

"I'm not going to die." He tried to assure her.

Melinda didn't reply. She just cried.

Jim moved his hand from her face and patted the bed. "Come here, hon."

Melinda stared at him. "No! I-I might hurt you!"

Jim rolled his eyes and tugged on her arm. "No, you won't. You either come down here or I'm coming up there."

Melinda bit her lip, thinking. She didn't want him to leave the bed, and knowing him, he would. So she carefully lowered herself next to him, being extremely careful not to touch his chest. Jim wrapped his arm around her shoulders and looked at her.

"Tell me what the ghost has been doing to you." He said softly. He didn't miss the flash of fear that crossed Mel's face. He tightened his arm protectively. "Please, Mel? I want to help you."

"You need to rest." She mumbled. She wanted him to lay down and rest, true, but she also didn't want to tell him what she had been afraid of. The idea that he would actually rather kill himself than be with her was absurd.

Jim sighed. "Alright then. If you won't tell me, then I'll just talk. I want you to know that, no matter what, I love you. You're my life, Mel. You're the most beautiful, amazing woman in the world. Nothing will ever change any of that, okay? I love you."

Melinda's chin quivered. "I love you, too."

Jim leaned down to press his lips against hers.

"He's lying."

Melinda squeezed her eyes shut, trying desperately to focus only on Jim and ignore the ghost. It became harder when Jim broke the kiss.

"Mel?" His voice was worried. Melinda forced her eyes open.

"I-I should go get the doctor." She said.

"He doesn't care where you go. He wants you to just get out of his life…disappear forever! Ah, Melly. You just can't accept the truth, can you?" The ghost whispered. "He wants you to die."

"That's not true!" Melinda exploded.

Jim's eyes widened in surprise. "What's not true? What is it? C'mon, Melinda, talk to me. Is it the ghost?"

Melinda nodded. She hid her face against his shoulder.

The ghost laughed evilly. "What do you expect him to do, huh!? He's not going to protect you! He wants you dead! Just accept it."

"Mel, what's happening!?" Jim exclaimed.

Suddenly, the monitors he was hooked up to went wild and his body began to tremble.

"Jim?" Melinda looked at his face just in time to see his eyes roll back in his head. "Jim! Oh God! JIM! JIM!!"

The door to the room flew open and Melinda felt herself being pulled off the bed, away from him. "NO!" She screamed. "JIM! JIM!"

And then the door slammed and she was in the hallway, being held against the wall by two nurses. She struggled violently against them.

"Let me go! He's my husband! LET ME GO!" She yelled. "JIM! JIM!"

The door to Jim's room opened and his bed was wheeled out, down the hallway and away from her. She screamed after it.

"JIM!"

"Ma'am, you need to calm down!" One of the nurses exclaimed.

"We might need to give her a sedative." The other one said in a low, almost menacing voice.

"JIM!" Melinda wailed again. But it was no use.

Her knees gave out and she slid down the wall, crumpling into a sobbing heap on the floor. The nurses were still holding her arms.

"I killed him! I killed him!" Melinda cried.

"Yes, you did." The ghost laughed, appearing behind the two nurses. Melinda glared at him through her tears.

"It's your fault." She mumbled, and then her voice rose to a scream. "IT'S YOUR FAULT! YOU KILLED HIM!! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM!? WHAT DID YOU DO!?"

The nurses looked at each other. "I'm calling for backup. She's delusional."

Melinda began to struggle against them again, pushing them into the middle of the hallway. She had almost broken free when a pair of arms encased her from behind. She struggled violently, screaming unintelligible things.

"Melinda it's us!" Delia's face swam before Melinda's eyes. She felt Delia's hands wrap around her flailing wrists.

"Calm down, Mel." Ned said from behind. He was the one trapping her. "Calm down!"

"Jim!" She tried to yell, but her voice wasn't cooperating with her. "J-Jim!"

"You can't do anything for him right now." One of the nurses said. "You just have to calm down!"

Melinda slowly stopped struggling. She was trembling all over. The last thing she felt was the pinch of a needle in her arm. The sedative.

And then, there was darkness.

* * *

_"Mel?" Jim called. "MELINDA!"_

_He didn't know where he was. There was nothing but darkness around him, and he was worried. Distantly, he could hear Melinda calling him. He needed to find her._

_"NO!" She was screaming. "JIM! JIM!"_

_"MELINDA!" Jim yelled back. He began to run. He didn't know where he was going, or where he was at. There was only darkness. "MEL! Where are you!? MELINDA!"_

_A sudden blast of white light made him squint. He looked around at the now endless white abyss. Then he spotted her. _

_Melinda was on her knees about twenty feet from him, sobbing and crying out for him. "Let me go! He's my husband! LET ME GO!" She was yelling. "JIM! JIM!"_

_"Mel!" Jim called. He ran and fell to his knees beside her. He touched her shoulder. It was like ice. "Mel, I'm here. I'm right here!"_

_He tried to pull her into his arms, but she wouldn't budge. And then she looked up. It nearly ripped his heart in half, seeing her face so crumpled and tearful. She looked right through him as she yelled for him again._

_"Melinda! I'm right here!" He said. He placed his hands on either side of her face. She didn't notice. "Mel! MEL!"_

_"JIM!" She screamed again. Except this time, her voice was farther away. She began to fade until he could see almost right through her._

_"Melinda! Oh God! What's happening! Mel? MEL!" Jim yelled. He tried to hold onto her, but she was disappearing. _

_And then she was gone._

_"MEL!" He yelled. Tears filled his eyes. What the hell was going on here?_

_"She knows you hate her." A voice said._

_Jim stood up and turned around slowly, until he was face to face with someone he had never seen before. The person was wearing a straight jacket, with eyes pointed in opposite directions. Blood covered nearly half of its face. He looked like someone out of a horror movie. The sight sent shivers down Jim's spine._

_"Who are you?" He demanded._

_The person laughed. "Let's just say…I'm a friend of Melly's. I thought she would have mentioned me. Hm. Shame." _

_Jim's eyes widened. "You…you're that ghost! The one that's been haunting her!"_

_The half of the ghost's mouth that wasn't covered in blood curled up into an evil smile._

_"Well, well! Maybe you aren't that stupid after all, Jimbo."_

_Jim's eye twitched in anger. He balled his hands into fists. "Where the hell am I? What happened to Mel? Is she okay? Why can I see you? ANSWER ME!"_

_The ghost just laughed. "Calm down, Jimmy. We have hours to chat." He laughed again. "As for Melly, well, she's been knocked out. Poor thing, losing her mind. The nurses think she's delusional. You can see me because, as far as you're concerned, this is all a dream." More laughing. "Ah, Jimbo. We have tons to talk about."_

_Jim clenched his teeth. "I'm going back to Mel!"_

_"Oh, but you can't. You're in surgery right now. You're out cold." _

_"Wh…what?" Jim thought back to the last thing he remembered before he found himself in this…abyss. Melinda had yelled something, and he was worried. She wouldn't talk to him. And then, the next thing he knew, there was frantic beeping and he found himself walking in darkness, searching for his wife._

_"Oh yes." The ghost laughed. It was a raspy sound. "You had a seizure. Well, with a little help from me. Don't worry, there's no need for thanks."_

_Jim was so angry that he was seeing red. He turned away from the ghost. He needed to find a way to wake up._

_"She knows that you hate her." The ghost's voice was a quiet, sinister sound._

_"I do not!" Jim yelled. The ghost materialized in front of him. "I love her!"_

_The ghost shook its head. "No, you don't. Melly's not worth anything. You would rather kill yourself than stay with her. That's why you swerved the car off the road into that tree."_

_"I didn't!" Jim yelled. In all honesty, he couldn't remember what exactly had happened. All he knew was that at one moment, he was driving home, anxious to get to Melinda…and the next, he was crashing into a tree. "I would never! I LOVE HER!"_

_The ghost just shook his head. "No you don't. You know it, Jimbo! Melinda's a no good, useless, freak. There's no way you care for her."_

_Jim turned around and ran. He would find a way to wake up, and he would find a way to get to his wife. This ghost was cracked. Completely and utterly insane._

_It made sense now. About why Melinda was acting so strange. He would probably be close to a breakdown too, if he had to deal with that ghost constantly. Melinda was one amazing woman. _

_And he needed to get back to her. No matter what._

A/N: Lots of drama! Haha. So what did you think? Review please!! Any thoughts and/or suggestions are welcomed. Thanks!

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hey everyone. Here's the next chapter of Please Don't Leave Me. I hope you like it! As always, thank you so much for all the reviews.

* * *

_Beep._

_Beep. Beep._

_Beep._

Melinda scrunched her eyes shut. She was so tired, but yet she couldn't fall back to sleep because of that damn beeping! She didn't even know what it was. It was just…there. Mocking her with its insistent _beep_…_beep_…_BEEP_.

She tried to roll over on her side, but found that it was difficult. Something was attached to her right arm. It took Melinda three tries to open her eyes and take in the room around her. Last time she had woken up and not known where she was, she had turned out to be at Delia's house. This time, she was in a hospital.

Her eyes widened as all of the memories came flooding back to her. Jim…

Melinda was about to scream his name when something touched her arm, startling her.

"Mrs. Gordon?"

Melinda looked into the face of an elderly nurse. She was smiling a comforting smile. She seemed sort of like a grandmother. Melinda just stared at her blankly.

"I need you to remain calm." The nurse said, patting Melinda's arm gently. "Take deep breaths. Can you do that for me?"

Melinda didn't know how she managed it, but she nodded. Her head was swirling.

"Honey, you've been unconscious for two days."

Melinda's eyes widened. Two days. A _lot_ could have happened in two days.

"Jim," She said.

The nurse continued to pat her arm. "The doctor will speak to you about him. I'm here to inform you why you're in here. I'm sure you must be confused."

She wasn't, but she nodded anyway. Nodding her head took less effort than shaking it, and right now the less effort she had to give, the better. She felt like an energizer bunny that got ran over by a truck. Five times.

"You were having a panic attack, sweetie." The grandmotherly nurse told her. "We had no other choice than to give you an anesthetic."

"Jim," Melinda murmured again. She had to know if he was alright. She didn't care about herself. But she needed to know about Jim.

The nurse sighed, and glanced at the door. She wasn't supposed to be telling the patient anything other than why she was in here…but she just couldn't help herself. The poor girl looked like she was ready to fall apart.

"Your husband," The nurse said slowly. "He had a seizure. We're not sure what caused it."

"Is he okay?" Melinda asked. Her eyes were wide. She was terrified.

That feeling only increased more as the nurse looked away. Melinda's eyes filled with tears.

Finally, the nurse looked back at her. "We…we're not quite sure. He could go either way. Honey, he's barely hanging on to life."

"No," Melinda stared at the nurse. "No. You're wrong. Jim won't…he won't die! He…he won't!"

The nurse went from patting Melinda's arm to stroking it. She didn't say anything. Melinda took a deep breath.

"Can I see him?"

The nurse looked at her sadly. "No. We have to discharge you first. But the sedative won't wear off completely until tomorrow. I'm honestly surprised that you've been able to stay awake for this long."

"Please," Melinda begged. "He's my husband. He may die! Please let me see him. Please!"

The nurse stood up slowly. "I can't, honey. It's not up to me."

She turned to walk away, and Melinda called after her. "Wait! Come back! Please!"

The nurse paused, and then turned.

"Listen to me." Suddenly the grandmotherly nurse sounded like a military official. "You rest. I'll be back later, and together…we'll think of something. But the most important thing now is that you get some rest. Understand?"

Melinda whimpered and nodded. The nurse left, shutting the door behind her.

Moments later, Melinda was asleep.

* * *

_Jim paced. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. There was no escaping this endless abyss of white. He had tried everything, while the ghost-freak watched and laughed. Jim wanted so badly to just wring the idiot's neck…the only problem being that he still couldn't touch the ghost. He had tried, many times, and failed._

_"I have to get back to her." Jim spoke to himself. He had no idea what was going on in the real world. He didn't know where Melinda was, or if she was okay. He didn't know if _he_ was okay._

_But at the moment he wasn't concerned with himself. All he cared about was his wife._

_"Why don't you just give up?" The ghost spoke abruptly. "There's no escaping this place. I made sure of it!"_

_Jim tried to ignore the ghost. This same thing had happened already about three times. The ghost would say something, and Jim would get mad. Then, the ghost would try to convince him that Melinda wasn't worth anything…and he would get even angrier. The more the ghost taunted and bothered him, the more he focused on getting out of this place to find Mel._

_"Why don't you just shut the hell up?" Jim growled._

_The ghost chuckled. "Whatever you want, Jimbo."_

* * *

"Are you serious?"

The sudden voice startled Melinda awake. She didn't bother opening her eyes, because it took to much energy. She just listened to the conversation that was apparently going on around her.

"Yes, mom." Ned. That was a voice Melinda recognized, even in her hazy-brained state. He sounded exasperated; like he'd explained something over and over again and Delia, who he was talking to, still didn't understand. "As soon as Melinda wakes up, we're going to ask her."

_Ask me what?_ Melinda couldn't help wondering. She made a feeble attempt to voice her question, but gave up because it took to much work.

"That's just…it's not…she shouldn't be…!" Delia trailed off. "This woman didn't see how upset Melinda was in the hallway. I thought she was having some type of episode at first. I don't think this nurse knows what she's talking about." Delia didn't sound too happy, to Melinda. "There's no way she should be leaving her bed, let alone running around the hospital hiding from doctors!"

Hiding from doctors? What was all that about?

"Mom, it's up to Melinda." Ned said. Now he sounded…excited? "And if she wants to, then I'm helping. I'll be a lookout."

"I will not have my son—,"

"_Running around the hospital hiding from doctors_." Ned imitated. It was amazing how much he sounded like Delia. "This is up to Mel. If you were really her friend, then you would want to help her too."

"This isn't helping her!" Delia exclaimed. "Do you see what she's been through? She needs rest and relaxation."

When Ned spoke again, his voice was quieter. "Mom…c'mon. Do you really think that she can relax when Jim may be on his death bed?"

At that, Melinda's eyes flew open.

"Ne—Mel!" Delia changed her mind mid-name, noticing that her friend was awake. "How do you feel?"

"How's…Jim?" Melinda mumbled, struggling to sit up in the bed. She totally ignored Delia's question.

Even though she was slightly disoriented, she didn't miss the look that passed between Delia and Ned. Melinda took a deep breath.

"Tell me." She said. "I'm not going to freak out. Just…please. I need to know."

Delia opened her mouth, but Ned spoke first.

"It looks bad." He said. Melinda nodded. She had already known that. "Do you want to see him?"

Melinda looked at him, her eyes wide. "Am I allowed? The nurse said—,"

"Yeah, well, she's had a change of heart." Ned grinned slightly. "And she's offered to go against hospital policy and help you see Jim."

"R-Really?" Melinda stared at him, but could detect no trace of a lie. "Won't she get in trouble, though?" Sure, Mel wanted to see Jim more than anything, but she didn't want to get the nurse fired. That would be a horrible thing to have on her conscious.

A sly grin crossed Ned's face. "Only if we get caught."

* * *

_"What is going on? Where am I? WHY THE HELL IS THIS HAPPENING!" Jim yelled at the white nothingness._

_This place was starting to irritate the heck out of him. It was nothing but white. He knew that he wasn't dead. He couldn't be. This wasn't the Light. Melinda always described the Light as a wonderful place, where the spirits were happy._

_But maybe this could be the darkness…hell, in other words. Jim couldn't figure out why he would be sent to the darkness. He had always seen himself as a generally good person. Plus it was so NOT dark! So that couldn't be right. _

_The only semi-reasonable idea he could come up with was that he was in some sort of limbo. He was in between life and death. Or at least that was what he was guessing._

_Jim sat down on the ground, or what he assumed was the ground. It looked no different from anything else. The only thing he could think about was getting out of here and back to his wife. He was worried as hell for her. _

_All he knew was that she had needed him, and he wasn't there. _

* * *

The plan was set. All that needed to be done was to set it in action.

A few minutes after Melinda had woken up, the nurse, whose name turned out to be Gena, entered the room. They had all discussed it, Delia the most unsupportive, and had everything planned out.

Melinda changed out of the hospital gown and into her regular clothes, and then came back into the room and sat down on the bed. Ned and Gena stood near the door, discussing what they were about to do in hushed whispers. Delia sat in a nearby chair with her arms folded, looking highly displeased.

"Delia?" Melinda said.

Delia looked over at her. Her face softened slightly. No matter how angry she was, she still felt bad for Melinda. "What?"

"You don't have to do this." Melinda said. "I won't hold it against you. I promise."

Delia sighed. "I want to help you, but is this really the best way to be doing it? Just think about it! Melinda, you're still under the effects from that drug. You shouldn't be running around the hospital. Gena could get herself fired if she gets caught helping you. And Ned could get in serious trouble! I think we should just wait!"

Melinda shook her head. "I can't wait. I don't know how much longer Jim has…I have to be with him."

"Mom, she's not going to be _running_ around the hospital." Ned piped up. "All we have to do is get to the stairs, and then we're good. None of the doctors on Jim's floor are going to know that Melinda was in the hospital. The only ones we have to worry about are the ones on this floor."

"He's right." Gena, the grandmotherly nurse, said. "And I'm going to stay here in case anyone comes looking for her. It's all going to work out fine."

"This is a _hospital_!" Delia exclaimed. "Don't you people understand that!? Just follow the rules!"

"No one is forcing you to help." Gena said, somewhat coldly.

"Yeah." Ned agreed, earning a glare from his mother.

Melinda sat quietly and watched the argument. The sensible half of her knew that Delia was completely right. She didn't want to get Gena, Ned, or Delia in trouble. She couldn't care less about herself. But the other non-sensible half of her said to just go for it. If Jim was going to die, she would be with him during his last few moments. She would make sure of it.

"Okay, okay!" Melinda interrupted. She stood up and discreetly positioned herself between Delia, Ned and Gena. "If we're going to do this…then let's go."

Ned grinned and Gena smiled. Delia made a disapproving noise in the back of her throat.

"Let's go over the plan." Gena said. "Just to make sure." Ned and Melinda nodded. Delia crossed her arms again. "I'm staying here just in case a doctor or another nurse comes to check on Melinda. Ned—,"

"I'm walking with her to the stairs." Ned said. "And up them, too."

"And…Delia?" Gena looked at Delia, who was still angry.

"Yes, I'm helping." She said angrily. "No matter how stupid and irresponsible this is."

"Good." Gena smiled. "And you're waiting for Melinda at the top of the stairs, and you'll go with her to Jim's room."

"Let's do this!" Ned said.

* * *

_"Why don't you just stop fighting?"_

_Jim lifted his head and glared at the ghost, who had reappeared again. "No. I'm going to get back to Melinda."_

_The ghost laughed. It wasn't raspy or evil sounding this time, it was just deranged. "Stupid, stupid Jimmy!"_

_Jim went back to his former position, lying face down on the floor. He felt like he was getting weaker. He was tired. But he refused to close his eyes, because he didn't know if he would ever open them again. So he lay there, staring at the white floor._

_He was doing his best to ignore the ghost. Really, he was. But his best just didn't seem to be working. If he didn't get out of this whatever-it-was soon...he was going to go crazy._

_That damn ghost._

A/N: Thanks for reading and I hope you liked it! Please review and tell me what you think. Like it? Hate it? Your feedback is greatly appreciated! Suggestions are also welcomed. Thank you!

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Wow, it's been forever since I've updated this story. I'm so sorry. Life is crazy, you know? I don't have nearly as much time to write as I would like. Plus, writers block...yuck. But regardless, I'm finally updating. This is the last chapter so I hope you all like the ending. :)

* * *

Melinda opened the door slowly and cautiously. Her heart was hammering in her chest. She quickly glanced over her shoulder at the retreating form of Delia, who was going to sit in a nearby waiting room. Taking a deep breath, Melinda entered the darkened room.

She sat down in the chair next to Jim's bed. It made her heart ache to see him lying there so still, looking like he was barely even breathing. She took his hand in both of hers, just like she had done before he had had the seizure.

"Jim?" She said quietly. She had no idea if he could hear her or not, but she felt that it was worth a try. "Jim, it's me. Melinda. I don't know if you can hear me or not but…I just…please don't leave me Jim. Please, please, please don't die. If you want a divorce, then fine. Whatever makes you happy." She began to cry. "I promise that I won't beg or grovel or anything after this. Just…just please don't die. Please. Even if you're not my husband…I still want you to be happy. Please…d-don't die."

_

* * *

_

"Jim?"

_Jim sat straight up, his eyes wide. "Mel? Melinda!?" He had heard her. He knew he had heard her! He stood up, looking around wildly. "Mel! Where are you!?"_

_"Jim, it's me. Melinda. I don't know if you can hear me or not but…I just…please don't leave me Jim. Please, please, please don't die. If you want a divorce, then fine. Whatever makes you happy."_

_Jim's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "A divorce? What? Mel! I don't want a divorce! What are you talking about!?" Jim began to pace. "Melinda! Can you hear me? MEL!!"_

_"I promise that I won't beg or grovel or anything after this. Just…just please don't die. Please. Even if you're not my husband…I still want you to be happy. Please…d-don't die."_

_"I won't die. I won't do that to you! Mel!" Jim yelled. "Where are you!?"_

_And then he saw her, turned with her back to him. She was just a little speck, but it was her. He knew it. He began to run as quickly as he could, sprinting towards her. There was something beside her, but he paid it no attention. The only important thing was Mel…his Mel._

* * *

"Jim." Melinda choked out. She closed her eyes, trying to fight back the tears. She was unsuccessful and they began to drip off of her face, landing on Jim's hand. "Come back. Please come back." She choked on her words. She really couldn't remember ever having cried so much in a week in her entire life before. "I-I love you. I-I don't care if you don't love me. Just d-don't…don't…don't die!"

She pressed his hand against her face.

"Jim. Please. Don't die. Please."

Melinda kissed his hand. And then, everything suddenly went black.

_

* * *

_

"Melinda, I'm right here. I don't—," He stopped short when he saw what was next to her.

_It was a hospital bed, and he was lying in it. How was that possible when he was standing right next to Mel? He couldn't be doing both at the same time…could he? _

_"What's going on?" He asked. Melinda didn't respond. Even when he touched her, she made no move. _

_"Jim." She started again. Jim watched as some of her tears fell onto the Jim in the bed's hand. _

_"I'm right here, Mel."_

_"Come back. Please come back." Jim watched helplessly as she nearly choked on her words. He had never seen her so utterly devastated. _

_"I am back." He said quietly._

_"I-I love you. I-I don't care if you don't love me. Just d-don't…don't…don't die!" She pressed the Jim in the bed's hand against her face. "Jim. Please. Don't die. Please." _

_Jim heard laughing and turned to see the ghost standing behind him._

_"You're gonna die, Jimmy." He laughed. "And there's nothing that your little ghost whisperer over there can do about it!" _

_Jim bared his teeth. He had no idea how to, but he was going to wake up and get back to Mel. He would not die. There was no way in hell that he would give up that easily._

_He walked over to stand beside the bed, which held him. He extended his hand and touched his own chest. Why, he had no idea. It was just a feeling. The last thing he heard was an angry yell that he assumed came from the ghost._

_Then it went dark._

* * *

Melinda opened her eyes to see a perfect blue sky, with thin clouds strewn here and there. A gentle wind was blowing, ruffling her hair around her face. She didn't mind. It felt nice.

Sitting up slowly, Melinda took in her surroundings. She was sitting in a meadow with trees surrounding it on all sides. There was a stream somewhere off to her right. It was just an overall pleasant place.

"Damn it! Now where the hell am I!?"

Melinda jumped as the sudden voice broke through the calm that had stilled over her. She glanced around. She knew that voice. She would know it anywhere.

"Jim?"

"Mel?"

A moment later, Jim appeared through a small break in the trees. Melinda stood up and stared at him. He stared at her. And then they were each running towards the other.

"Mel! Oh God, Mel, I've been so worried! I don't even know where I've been!" Jim exclaimed as he pulled Melinda into his arms. He swung her around in a circle before giving her a nearly bone-crushing hug and kissing her like he never had before. "I love you so much." He told her when they finally pulled their mouths apart. "I'm never letting go of you again."

"I'm okay with that." Melinda said. "I thought I lost you. I thought—,"

"You thought I wanted a divorce." Jim finished her sentence. Melinda stiffened somewhat.

"How did you know that?" She asked quietly.

"I heard you." Jim told her. "You said that you didn't care if I wanted a divorce, you just wanted me to live, whether I would stay with you or not. Right?"

Melinda nodded. She took a breath. "I didn't just say that. I really mean it."

To Melinda's surprise, Jim laughed. "Do you really think that I want a divorce? Melinda, you're the best thing that ever happened to me."

"Really?" She asked quietly.

"Yes!" Jim exclaimed. He leaned down and kissed her again.

"I love you." Melinda said when they stopped kissing.

"I love you too." Jim said. He glanced around. "So, babe, do you have any idea where we are?"

Melinda also looked around at the meadow. "No. I don't even know what happened. I was just sitting there, crying, and then everything went black."

"I…," Jim trailed off. He wasn't exactly sure how to explain what had happened to him, but he had to try. "C'mon Mel, let's sit."

Melinda agreed and they sat down in the grass, Jim's arms still wrapped around her.

Jim started at the beginning, explaining about everything that had happened to him with the ghost, the white room, Melinda, and finally how he saw himself lying in a hospital bed. Melinda listened eagerly, trying to figure out everything that was going on.

Jim and Melinda sat there together, talking long after it the sun had gone down. They tried to figure out what the strange ghost wanted, why he made it his mission to torment Melinda. But they had no answers.

An hour or so later, Melinda had fallen asleep in Jim's arms. Jim stayed awake as long as he could but eventually drifted off to sleep, his arms still wrapped around his wife.

* * *

Jim opened his eyes, and realized immediately that he was back in the real world. No more strange white places, no more meadows. He was lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to machines, with Melinda asleep on a chair next to him. He had honestly never been so happy to be in a hospital.

He stroked Melinda's hair gently, to happy that it was all over to just lie still. His action caused Melinda to stir. She opened her eyes and then sat up, yawning.

"Jim," She said, smiling. Suddenly, her smile disappeared and was replaced with anger. "What do you want now?"

Jim blinked, confused, and then realized that she wasn't talking to him. It was the ghost, again. They had almost been in the clear…everything had almost been perfect, and now, the ghost was back.

"Melinda." The ghost said. It wasn't grinning, as usual, or laughing. It was just standing there, in the corner of the room, staring at her.

"What do you want?" Melinda repeated. "Haven't you tortured me enough? Can't you just get lost!?"

The corners of the ghosts mouth curled up in a sinister smile. "For now, yes. I have other things to do, Melly. More important things. But I'll be back. Trust me."

Melinda was about to reply, but the ghost disappeared.

"Mel?" Jim asked. "What is it? What did he say?"

"He's…he's going to leave us alone." She said, completely caught off guard by the ghosts sudden departure. "But he said that he'll be back."

Melinda looked at Jim, and he was beaming. "He's going to leave us alone. It's over, Mel. Whenever he comes back we'll be ready. But who cares about that? Let's focus on now. And right now, I really want to kiss you."

Melinda laughed and sat on the edge of his bed. Jim pulled her on top of him, ignoring any pain that it caused, and kissed her deeply.

The door to the room opened.

"Ugh, my eyes." Ned's voice said.

"And this is why we need to start knocking." Delia said, rolling her eyes.

Melinda and Jim broke apart, each of them smiling and happy for the first time in awhile.

Jim sat up in the bed. "Delia, Ned, we have one hell of a story to tell you."

* * *

**Two Years Later**

It had been two years since that horrible ghost had tormented Melinda and Jim. Life had only gotten better and better for them. A few weeks after Jim got out of the hospital, they learned that Melinda was pregnant. Nine months later she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, which they named Hope Elizabeth Andrea Clancy. They couldn't decide between the two middle names, so they just gave her both.

Delia had gotten serious with her new boyfriend, and a few weeks ago they had gotten engaged. Melinda was made the Maid of Honor and Ned was the best man. Ned also had a new girlfriend and nearly worshipped the ground she walked on.

Rick Payne had come back into everyone's life, and was always helping Melinda out with her ghost problems. Needless to say, Rick had been taken completely off guard by little Hope, but he loved her like family. He was a very good babysitter, too.

Melinda had everything she wanted in life. A beautiful, amazing daughter, a wonderful, sweet, caring husband, a best friend who she could count on for anything, and other friends who cared about her no matter what.

Life was good.

* * *

_Unknown to Melinda and her family and friends, they were all being watched._

_"I'll kill you, Melinda Gordon." The psychotic ghost promised, watching Melinda and Jim in the living room playing with their daughter one rainy evening. "Just you wait."_

**THE END**

_

* * *

_A/N: The end! I'll leave the rest up to your imaginations haha. Thank you to everyone who has read this story, favorited, alerted, and (most importantly!) reviewed! Thank you!! :D


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